This film melted me like the touch of silk. Although I wasn't fully convinced of the transformation of Einar Wegener, I am deeply touched by the Eddie Redmayne's fragile beauty as a women(or should I say Lily). He comprehends Einar's psychological conditions perfectly, and every twist of his facial muscles or movements of his eyes demonstrate the perfect empathy he has for his role. I don't care about logical consistency of plots or the point of view as long as he is the center of images, he flawlessly convinces me that Einar sincerely believe that he is born to be a woman. And as long as his feelings are as burning and heart-felt as reflected in my eyes, there's nothing to criticize about whether his decisions are morally right or wrong.
It's spirit-shattering that Einar died in the arms of Gerda, and Gerda did an extraordinary job in supporting her husband. I would give Alicia Vikander a full score too, her performance reconstruct perfectly a open-minded female artist that has unconditional love for her husband. She forsook the obscure love she had for Hans, the right to be protected and caressed as a wife, and everything women think they rightfully deserves from their husbands. Einar said before he died: "How would I ever deserve such love?"Seeing him pale like a vampire, watching his hand sliding from her hand, it's hard to imagine the heartbreak Gerda had. Would she blame herself for not forcing Einar to the doctors instead of "indulging his hallucinations?" Would she blame herself for letting her husband wear her silk pajamas and ballet dress for her own artistic career? Would she miss the man that looks to her eyes in the morning and whisper to her:"My life, my wife."? I drained my tears for her anyway. Gerda is such a wonderful woman.
I also feel obliged to comment on the institutionalization at that time. The idiot psychiatrist can't even figure out the difference between schizophrenia and a healthy man. One of the psychiatrist even proposed a lobotomy, and at the wrong spot. Lobotomy is supposed to sever the connection between frontal lobe and the rest of the brain to treat those who get major depression or anxiety disorder and don't react to medical treatment, the technique it is abandoned in the modern world for its inhumane side effects. Stupidity of the doctor reflects their ossified believes about trans gender people and their lack of professional knowledge, which explains how hard it was for Einar to defend his faith and for Gerda to stick to the belief that her husband was not insane.
Except for the fascinating acting skills, I really really really adore the lighting and color of the film. I can proudly hang every frame of the movie on my bedroom wall(except the scene Einar showed his male parts, maybe), and proclaim them art pieces. Harmony of colors and subjects, like oil painting, is the best solution for a film that is filled by sentimental transformations. Or it would easily fall into the trap of melodramatic depiction or confusion of emotions. But better than A Girl With a Pearl Earring, this film is consolidated by subtle facial expressions of actors and actresses, which clearly present the inner struggles of characters.
For conclusion, I love this films and the techniques are perfect. But I find it difficult to agree with Einar. He burdened Hans, Gerda, pained them emotionally, and even caused his own death, because he wanted to have a female body? Is it the ability to have sex as a woman that's more important, or is it his and his loved ones' welfare that comes in priority? Let's leave it to everyone's own judgment.
It's spirit-shattering that Einar died in the arms of Gerda, and Gerda did an extraordinary job in supporting her husband. I would give Alicia Vikander a full score too, her performance reconstruct perfectly a open-minded female artist that has unconditional love for her husband. She forsook the obscure love she had for Hans, the right to be protected and caressed as a wife, and everything women think they rightfully deserves from their husbands. Einar said before he died: "How would I ever deserve such love?"Seeing him pale like a vampire, watching his hand sliding from her hand, it's hard to imagine the heartbreak Gerda had. Would she blame herself for not forcing Einar to the doctors instead of "indulging his hallucinations?" Would she blame herself for letting her husband wear her silk pajamas and ballet dress for her own artistic career? Would she miss the man that looks to her eyes in the morning and whisper to her:"My life, my wife."? I drained my tears for her anyway. Gerda is such a wonderful woman.
I also feel obliged to comment on the institutionalization at that time. The idiot psychiatrist can't even figure out the difference between schizophrenia and a healthy man. One of the psychiatrist even proposed a lobotomy, and at the wrong spot. Lobotomy is supposed to sever the connection between frontal lobe and the rest of the brain to treat those who get major depression or anxiety disorder and don't react to medical treatment, the technique it is abandoned in the modern world for its inhumane side effects. Stupidity of the doctor reflects their ossified believes about trans gender people and their lack of professional knowledge, which explains how hard it was for Einar to defend his faith and for Gerda to stick to the belief that her husband was not insane.
Except for the fascinating acting skills, I really really really adore the lighting and color of the film. I can proudly hang every frame of the movie on my bedroom wall(except the scene Einar showed his male parts, maybe), and proclaim them art pieces. Harmony of colors and subjects, like oil painting, is the best solution for a film that is filled by sentimental transformations. Or it would easily fall into the trap of melodramatic depiction or confusion of emotions. But better than A Girl With a Pearl Earring, this film is consolidated by subtle facial expressions of actors and actresses, which clearly present the inner struggles of characters.
For conclusion, I love this films and the techniques are perfect. But I find it difficult to agree with Einar. He burdened Hans, Gerda, pained them emotionally, and even caused his own death, because he wanted to have a female body? Is it the ability to have sex as a woman that's more important, or is it his and his loved ones' welfare that comes in priority? Let's leave it to everyone's own judgment.